The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-11-08
AM IhplAn MILLIONAIRE.
Matthias splitlog and the Railroad He q
Building Out West.


Matthias splitlog and the Railroad He =
Building Out West.
Had any one predicted q quarter Of
, century ago that an American Indian
would build railroad he would have
been considered a fit object for lunatic
asylum. But to-day the people of New
ton County. No, 3 county adjoining
the Indian Territory, have witnessed a
scene such as man has never before be-
helA Matthias Splitlog. half Cayuga
and half Wyandotte Indian, born in an
Indian village in Canada, at Neosho
drove the first spike for the Kansas
City. Fort Smith & Southern railway.
This division of the Kansas City, Fort
Smith & Southern railway was chart
cred the 9Th of last March under the
laws of the State of Missouri, with q
capital of three million dollars, and
now there are about thirty-five miles
graded and ready for the iron.
Mr.. Splitlog has furnished the
"sinews of war" out of his own ample
fortune, and is backed by heavy CAPT.
talists to complete the road, and before
the LIST of next January he will lave
the cars running from Joplin, in Jasper
County, to the town of Splitlog, in Nc
Donald County, a distance of about
thirty-fve miles, and Matthias Split
log. the millionaire Indian, who is
probably the richest man of his rice.
will henceforth be known all over the
country as the only Indian railroad
man Cat least the firsD in the United
States or in the whole world.
The occasion of driving the first
spike on the main line of this new road
was a matter of more than ordinary in
terest to the people of Neosho. At
Sis there were about one thousand
people assembled at the point where
the main line crosses the Frisco track.
After music by the Indian band from
the Territory, and selections from che
Neosho band, Mr.. Charles W. Smith,
auditor of the construction company,
held the spike in position, and in four
; bold strokes Mr.. Splitlog drove the
spike home into a carefully selected
white oak tie. Cheer after cheer was
given for the road, Matthias Splitlog,
Neosho and the enterprise, after which
many came to the track to look at the
spike. Mr. Splitlog welded the sledge
with familiarity and precision which
indicated that he had used his sledge
with good effect when he built his
steamboat on the Detroit river.
Mr.. Splitlog was born in the year
1918, and when boy was apprenticed
; to a carpenter and millwright, and,
although his wages were only seven
dollars per month, young Splitlog
thought he was getting rich. He inl-
bibed love for machinery and inven-
tons which has made his life a useful
and eventful one. In the year 1s42
young Splitlog joined the Wyan-
dottes, who were the last of the Indian
tribes then in Ohio. In 1913 Splitlog
came West with some of the tribe, and
found, after his arrival at Westport
landing (now Kansas City,, that ne
only had fifty cents IN his pocket. He
induced an old Indian to 60 his security
! for the price of an axe. With this axe
he cut cordwood for the steamboats, al
twenty-five cents per cord, and. after
paying for the axe, which cost two dol.
lars. he soon saved enough TO buy a
| pony.
About the year 1916 he married Elizs
, Barnett, a grandniece of Harry jacques
: the old Indian who went his security
Tor the price of the axe. Her father
was head chief of the Wyandottes wher
he died in 1888. Her, mother was /;
part Wyandotte and part Seneca In
dian. They have a family of five chi
! dren-four sons and one daughter.
/ Splitlog was never idle, and in most q
his undertakings he was successful
/ At an early day he built mill neal
! WyandOtte, which was first run by
horsepower and afterwards by steam
Splitlog's mill was a success, and wai
long an old landmark near WyandOtte
He began TO speculate in real estate
and, although he can neither read no
write, he has been one of the most sue
cessful spectators in the neighbor
hood of Kansas City, and is to-da..
worth over a million dollars. Man,
interesting incidents could be writteI
i'm connection with his useful life
NeoSho fIMo. Cor. Kansas City JOuriad!
! "
A Personal Matter.